Fragrant sintered metallic article



Dec. 2, 1952 K. lwAsE ET A1. 2,620,227

FRAGRANT SINTERED METALLIC ARTICLE Filed Nov. lO, 1949 INVENTOR KE/ZO' /WASE AGEA/73 Patented Dec. 2, 1952 FRAGRANT SINTERED METALLIC ARTICLE Keizo Iwase, Sendai, and Kazuhiko Ogawa, Kyoto, Japan Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,502 In Japan October 8, 1947 n 1 Claim. 1

This invention rela-tes to improvements in a method of manufacturing sintered metallic articles, especially fragrant metallic articles, and has for its principal object toprovide metallic articles reserving perfume in their own structure and emanating fragrance.

Another object of the invention is to manufacture various iine art curios or industrial fine arts more easily.

Another object of this invention is to manufacture complicated metallic articles such as engraved metal articleseasily and quantitatively.

A further object is to produce iinely painted or coloured metallic lacquer japan wares which are stronger and more durable than wooden lacquer wares.

With the above and other objects in view, the

'invention consists in certain novel features in 'scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing-any loi" the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of the mould yof Fig. 2 for making the fragrant costume jewelry embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the mould shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. Sis a front View of finished sample (Fig. l), in which a part of viiower iscovered with coloured enamel;

Fig. 4 is a `partial sectional view showing the microstructure `of sintered metallic wares covered with enamel;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fragrant signboard made by the method of this invention;

Fig.16 is its sectional elevation;

jFig. 7 is a front elevation of an apparatus for reserving and emanating perfume; and

Fig. 8 is its sectional elevation.

It has'previously been known that, to obtain porous metallic articles, metal powders are placed in a mould and subjected to high pressure to form a required mass and then Athe mass is heated to va temperature below the melting point of the powdered metal. Such a method is known sciventiiically as powder metallurgy or vmetallic ceramics, but such methods had not been successfully applied to the manufacture of industrial metallic articles of some comparatively complicated artistic feature. The principle of powder metallurgy is based on the fact that, when a solid mass of any metal is crushed into rlne powders, the surface area of a particle increases considerably so that, if the metallic powder is heated, the surface of each particle will reach a semi-molten state at a temperature lower than the melting point of the metal and the particles will become partially fused together to form a solid body.

According to this invention the principle of powder metallurgy is utilized in manufacturing metallic articles of rather complicated features yor ragged surfaces adapted for fine art vcurios er industrial line art works. In carrying out the process, one or more kinds of different 'metal powders are mixed together with suitable binding material or substance containing adhesive matter with water or other solution. By thoroughly mixing the powders with the binding material, the mouldability of the mixture is greatly increased. Such pasty mixture is packed in a mould for the required shape or cast in a special mould to form an article of required shape and then it is perfectly dried. The metallic mass thus dried is heated to the required temperature for a short time in an oxidizing atmosphere at low temperature, thereby burning combustible elements in the binder, the metallic powder particles being brought to semi-fused condition quickly by the aid of oxidation heat on the surface and being sintered together to a compact article. The article thus obtained is heated again in a reducing atmosphere for a suflicient time, thereby `producing an article which is more sound and exhibits better metallic properties. In this invention, any process of moulding or casting used in porcelain ceramics can be adopted.

In an embodiment of this invention, 5 to l0 grams of powders of electrolytic copper of 100 to 250 meshes are mixed with 2 to 4 c. c. of Gloiopeltis glue solution and the mixture is formed or moulded to the required shape and then dried thoroughly. Such dried article has substantial strength to be handled without breakving. The article is heated in an oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature of about 600 C. for more than half an hour, then the combustible substances in the binding material are burnt away .and the metal powders are sintered to a compact mass. The mass is heated again in a hydrogen atmosphere up to about 900 C. for more than three hours, then the metallic copper is reduced so as to produce a more ductile copper article. Thus a copper-like article having complicated configuration or ragged surface such as engraving can be manufactured.

In another embodiment of this invention, a dry process is also used, in which metal or alloy powders or a mixture of diierent metal powders are packed in an unglazed porcelain mould without solvent binder and heated for a short time at a comparatively low temperature such as twothirds of the melting point of the base metal or alloy in a reducing atmosphere to obtain a sintered mass. Then the sintered mass is taken out of the mould and it is heated again to a higher temperature below the melting point, but above five-sixths of the melting point in a reducing atmosphere for more than two or three hours.

If the sintered metallic article taken out of the mould after the initial heating is put on a curved refractory support and subjected to the secondary heating a required curvature can be given to the sintered metallic article by characteristic plastic deformation of porous metal at higher temperature.

The merit of this two-stage sintering process lies in allowing the repeated use of the unglazed porcelain mould without deteriorating its effective working surface, thereby reducing the cost of mould and facilitating mass production of metallic articles at lower cost. The porcelain vmould adopted in this process can be made, for instance, by pouring clay material in the form of paste into a gypsum mould taken from an actual object or copied from wooden pattern on which ne engraving is Sculptured. If such a porcelain mould is heated to a high temperature such as above 100ll C. a large contraction occurs to distort the fine sculpture or design on the working surface, but such distortion does not occur up to the temperature of about (500"--900 C.

, This two stage sintering process prevents the above defects and provides fine arts or industrial ne arts made of metal powders.

The articles made by the above described methods as well as by an ordinary sintering method have porosity, the neness of which depends on the characteristic of the powder miX- tures and on sintering conditions. This quality is taken advantage of in manufacturing metallic lacquer wares and oloisonn wares in which japan lacquer or enamel penetrates into the porous metallic structure by capillary action and amalgamates therewith so as not to easily split off as in an ordinary wooden lacquer ware. Thus very fine artificial metallic lacquer wares and cloisonn wares of various designs can be manufactured by colour painting or by using colour enamels. All these articles may reserve perfume oil.

Though according to the method of this invention any kind of metal can be used except refractory metals, yet it is more preferably adapted to such metals as for example silver (Ag), silver alloys such as Ag-Zn, Ag-Be, Ag-Au; copper (Cu) and copper alloys such as Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, Cu-Al-Ag; nickel (Ni) alloys; platinum (Pt) and Pt-Ag, and if desired non-metallic powders such as coloured glass powder, powders of flake mica or porcelain enamel etc., may be mixed or put in a mould in combination.

The sintered metallic article made by the above described method has the special porous structure containing a series or aggregation of capillary tubes or holes which are thicker than those obtainable by any other method and are interconnected with each other. In this invention, the specific feature of the capillary tubes is taken advantage of by impregnating perfume into the structure of the sintered metallic article which is effective in reserving the perfume for a long time and constantly diffusing a fragrant smell. For instance, if a drop of perfume is dripped on a piece of cloth the perfume will not only diffuse away in a few days, but also it leaves traces of stain, while the perfume soaked in the sintered metal article of this invention is reserved for more than a week and can be supplemented at any time. Thus fragrant metallic articles such as costume jewelry, badges, rings and the like personal ornaments as well as fragrant sign-boards, household utensils and various other articles can be manufactured.

Now referring to Figs. 1 to 4, which show a method of making fragrant costume jewelry (violet pines), according to this invention, l designates an unglazed porcelain mould which has recess 2 and iine engraving 3 on the bottom surface corresponding to the design of a required costume jewelry such as flower design. A desired metal powder l, for instance, silver powders are packed in the mould up to the level of its upper surface. Then the mould charged with metal powders is heated to the rst sintering temperature of 650 to 758 C. for half an hour, and then the sintered mass is taken out of the mould and re-heated to the second sintering temperature of 850 to 920 C. for more than three hours in air. Fig. 3 represents a costume jewelry thus manufactured.

If we use bronze powder (Cu 86%), the first sintering can be carried out at 720 to 800 C., and the second sintering at SGN-930 C'. for more than three hours in reducing atmosphere.

The sintered metal ware thus obtained can be covered Wholly or partly, for instance, a part of a flower, with line-coloured enamel 6 or japan lacquer to increase the value and liquid perfume will penetrate into the other part such as an uncovered leaf. The finished sample shown in Fig, 3 provides a very ne fragrant costume jewelry which was never produced before by any other process. In a similar manner, we can manufacture a wonderfully fine perfume bottle, Violet fragrant jewelry, fragrant badges, rings and cloisonn wares etc.

In some cases, if several kinds of metal powders having different colours are put in various parts of a mould according to the design, a more colourful fragrant metallic ware can be manufactured.

The metallic ware made by sintering metal and alloy powders has the microscopic structure as shown in Fig. 4, wherein 5 designates the sintered porous metal part and e represents a layer of enamel. As seen from Fig. 4 the enamel 6 penetrates into the porous structure of the sintered metal 5 by capillary action, thus the fitting of enamel on metal is more sound than any other enamelled metallic wares made by the other ordinary process. When Japan lacquer is employed, we can observe the quite identical microstructure as shown in Fig. Ll.

Figs. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of'this invention as applied to fragrant sign boards, in which 'l represents a base plate of the sign board made of any suitable material such, for instance, as normal metal. 8 represents characters or suitable gures made of sintered metallic pieces rlxed to the base plate 'l and liquid perfume is soaked in the metallic pieces 3. On the contrary, the base plate 'l can be made by sintering metal powders and the characters or figures 8 can be made of solid metal pieces or non-metallic substance such .as porcelain pieces laid in the metal powder and sintered together with the metal powder and the perfume is impregnated in the base plate,

Figs. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of this inventiomas applied to a house-hold utensil as the combination of sintered metallic element and other material parts. 9 represents a sintered metallic piece and I0 represents glass or solid metal parts having a recess II formed therein serving as a Iperfume reservoir, and I2 represents holes leading to the reservoir II; and I3 represents a receiver. I4 designates a heating source such as an electric lamp and I5 is a reflector. The perfume is poured into the reservoir II through the holes I2 and it is naturally diffused through the sintered metallic element 9 by the capillary action and if the surface of the element 9 is warmed the perfume is diffused more effectively. Such a fragrance emanating device may be fitted to a part of radio instruments or piano or any other organ so that fragrant utensils may be obtained.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A fragrant metallic ware consisting of a combination of metal powders and non-metallic powders which were sintered and semi-fused together to a compact mass of any desired shape and having in its structure innumerable capillary holes left by burning non-metallic powders mixed in the metallic powders due to the heating to a temperature below two-thirds of the melting point of the metal for less than one hour in an oxidizing atmosphere, said metallic mass having brilliant colour of original metal recovered by heating in a reducing atmosphere to a higher temperature below said melting point, but above ve-sixths of said melting point for at least three hours and having perfume solution inltrated into the capillary holes, thereby constantly issuing fragrant smell.

KEIZO IVVASE. KAZUHIKO OGAWA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 224,367 Wheeler Feb. 10, 1830 1,520,794 Zons Dec. 30, 1924 1,988,861 Thorausch Jan. 22, 1935 2,121,448 Ritzau June 21, 1938 2,203,895 Davis et al June l1, 1940 2,215,723 Jones Sept. 24, 1940 2,219,423 Kurtz Oct, 29, 1940 2,239,800 Vogt et al. Apr. 29, 1941 2,297,817 Truxell, Jr. et al. Oct. 6, 1942 2,307,343 Whipple Jan. 5, 1943 2,368,458 Engle Jan. 30, 1945 2,386,544 Crowley Oct. 9, 1945 2,389,061 Kuzmick Nov. 13, 1945 2,389,420 Deyrup Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 332,052 Great Britain July 17, 1930 486,249 Great Britain June 1, 1938 497,844 Great Britain Dec. 2S, 1933 

